Question:
"I think the guys now, with the equipment, are hitting the ball further, they’re hitting it straighter," Woods said in a recent interview. "They’re not necessarily hitting their irons better, but they’re driving it so much further that now, instead of playing 4- and 5-irons into some of these pins, they’re playing 7’s and 6’s (clubs that are used for shorter shots and offer greater control over the ball). That’s a tremendous difference. It’s not because they’re stronger, more limber – it’s just because of equipment." http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2001-03-14-ball.htm
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It’s not because they’re stronger, more limber – it’s just because of equipment."
If that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
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It’s not because they’re stronger, more limber – it’s just because of equipment." If that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
Ask Tiger, it’s his quote. My guess is that when you take a finely tuned athlete and give him finely tuned equipment you get better golf. When you take mediocre and try to fine tune it you get finely tuned mediocre golf. It’s like drinking Boonsfarm out of a Riedel. Matt
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It’s not because they’re stronger, more limber – it’s just because of equipment." If that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
Perhaps because you are practicing too much with your 5 iron?
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Because your Pro V1s are still in transit? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -If that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
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It’s not because they’re stronger, more limber – it’s just because of equipment." If that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
Hmmm… well do you ever try playing with a 20 or 30 year old driver… and, perhaps even more significant, balls as made 20 or 30 years ago? If so, do you get the same distance? Our local "golf history" society has an annual tournament where only "traditional" clubs are allowed – hickory shafts, wooden woods, etc… I don’t know how the play compares to typical modern play, however. Tiger was also talking about tour pros… so, basically, today’s best players generally playing with the most advanced club and ball technology available. Now… if they ever made a club that allowed a player like me to shoot 300 yards that would seriously jeopardise the integrity of the game! Xorys MP3 FAQ at: http://webhome.idirect.com/~nuzhathl/mp3-faq.html Early Music Page at: http://webhome.idirect.com/~toot/music.html 18th Century Electronic Realisations & Flute Music at: http://www.mp3.com/xorys
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Hmmm… well do you ever try playing with a 20 or 30 year old driver… and, perhaps even more significant, balls as made 20 or 30 years ago? If so, do you get the same distance?
My Persimmon driver doesn’t go as far as my Titleist 975D or my Integra simply because it’s 43" inches long compared with the lighter 45" models. No scientific breakthroughs there. There is a small spec of truth to the ball claims, but only because the Tour players have been hitting those mush balls (Titleist Balata) for so long. Now they are finally hitting a ball with a little bit of distance that stops on the green. Most amateurs have been hitting distance balls for a long time so we don’t notice any great increases in distance. When I hear all these great distance claims made by Pro-V1 users, I wonder what ball they were hitting previously. The Pro-V1 isn’t even close to being non-conforming and doesn’t travel as far as many of the distance balls do. The Titleist guy claimed that their DT Distance was their longest ball. I haven’t hit it since I have an aversion to DT’s, but their old HP2 Distance ball would go forever. It was about 1 club longer off the irons as well, which isn’t always a good thing. It was also long off the putter which was a bit problematical when facing a downhill putt on a slick green. The other day I heard a guy braggin that his new ERC II was 60 yards longer than his old driver. I watched him duck hook it about 100 yards and wondered what he had been teeing off with. A rope?
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f that was true, then why can’t I hit it 300? Or even 20 yards farther?
I guess because Annika1980 doesn’t rule. RSG Role Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/mclaughlins.htm
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Hmmm… well do you ever try playing with a 20 or 30 year old driver… and, perhaps even more significant, balls as made 20 or 30 years ago? If so, do you get the same distance? My Persimmon driver doesn’t go as far as my Titleist 975D or my Integra simply because it’s 43" inches long compared with the lighter 45" models. No scientific breakthroughs there.
Err… I can’t agree really. The use of lighter, tougher materials is precisely what allows the extra length to be used comfortably… and there is more, even in the area of drivers, than just length – weight distribution in the head and the dynamic characteristics of the face, notably, and also refined shaft behaviour. And irons too have been changed in many ways. Not, of course, that great golf wasn’t played with previous generations of equipment… but it does seem that technological changes have helped players with the skills to use them to increase their achievements. There is a small spec of truth to the ball claims, but only because the Tour players have been hitting those mush balls (Titleist Balata) for so long. Now they are finally hitting a ball with a little bit of distance that stops on the green. Most amateurs have been hitting distance balls for a long time so we don’t notice any great increases in distance.
Well… if you go back far enough there were more issues than that. I remember hearing one great golfer from the past (I believe it was Sam Snead, but I’m not sure) talk about how the balls used in the 50s went out of round so easily that pro players carried a steel ring with them to check their balls after every hole. When I hear all these great distance claims made by Pro-V1 users, I wonder what ball they were hitting previously. The Pro-V1 isn’t even close to being non-conforming and doesn’t travel as far as many of the distance balls do. The Titleist guy claimed that their DT Distance was their longest ball. I haven’t hit it since I have an aversion to DT’s, but their old HP2 Distance ball would go forever. It was about 1 club longer off the irons as well, which isn’t always a good thing. It was also long off the putter which was a bit problematical when facing a downhill putt on a slick green. The other day I heard a guy braggin that his new ERC II was 60 yards longer than his old driver. I watched him duck hook it about 100 yards and wondered what he had been teeing off with. A rope?
Well yes… bigger possibilities certainly just allow some of us to make bigger mistakes :-} Xorys MP3 FAQ at: http://webhome.idirect.com/~nuzhathl/mp3-faq.html Early Music Page at: http://webhome.idirect.com/~toot/music.html 18th Century Electronic Realisations & Flute Music at: http://www.mp3.com/xorys
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Hmmm… well do you ever try playing with a 20 or 30 year old driver… and, perhaps even more significant, balls as made 20 or 30 years ago? If so, do you get the same distance?
I’d be reluctant to try and compare a 30-year-old ball simply because the rubber and other materials are likely to have deteriorated significantly over the years, changing its performance characteristics. Our local "golf history" society has an annual tournament where only "traditional" clubs are allowed – hickory shafts, wooden woods, etc… I don’t know how the play compares to typical modern play, however.
I’ve been trying to encourage the local course to hold a hickory tournament, but can’t find enough participants. I’m not sure if the play would be easy to compare, though, as my suspicion is that many of the players would be holding back just a bit because they don’t want to damage irreplaceable clubs by hitting as hard as they would with a new one. Golfsmith doesn’t seem to carry many hickory shafts in their catalogue. 
— Eliyahu Rooff www.geocities.com/Area51/Underworld/8096/HomePage.htm RSG Rollcall http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/rooffe.htm